Episode Summary: Join hosts Leekei, Rob, and Kristina as they talk with Barbara Orsi about her progress with the Generation Carbon Italy association, the achievements so far, and more particularly about the activities on Earth Day in Turin.  

Topics explored in this episode: 

• Generation Carbon has reached 1000 classes and 25,000 children in primary school  
• Activities on Earth Day in Turin which was attended by 600 families! 
• Providing actionable teaching resources to teachers 
• The role of parents and educators in supporting children’s climate action 
• The power of children to influence household decisions and engage parents in climate conversations 
• Why talking about food waste is a quick win 
• What’s next for Generation Carbon Italy? 
• How this experience has transformed Barbara’s approach and perspectives  

Listen to Episode 142: Scaling Climate Education to 1,000 Italian Schools with Barbara Orsi

For more information on the project and to order your copy of the Carbon Almanac (one of Amazon best-selling books of the year!), visit thecarbonalmanac.org 

Download a free copy of Generation Carbon go here (available 22 languages and dyslexic fonts)

Want to join in the conversation? 

Visit thecarbonalmanac.org/podcasts and send us a voice message on this episode or any other climate-related ideas and perspectives. 

Don’t Take Our Word For It, Look It Up! 

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Featuring Carbon Almanac Contributors Leekei Tang, Barbara Orsi, Rob Slater and Kristina Horning.  

Based in Milan, Italy, Barbara is a mom and marketing executive who has been actively involved in building a better and brighter future for our planet since November 2021. She has contributed to the Carbon Almanac and serves as the Italian coordinator for the Carbon Almanac Network. During fall 2023, she co-founded Generation Carbon Italy, the Italian spin-off of the Carbon Almanac Network 

Leekei is a fashion business founder, a business coach, an international development expert and podcaster from Paris, France.  

Rob is from Birmingham in the UK, he is an orthodontist, triathlete, coach and podcaster. 

Kristina has a background in architecture and engineering. Currently in Prague (that it is where she is originally from) and her base is US 

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The CarbonSessions Podcast is produced and edited by Leekei Tang, Steve Heatherington and Rob Slater. 

Hi, I'm Christina.

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I'm from Prague.

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Hi, I'm Jen, and I'm from Canada.

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Hi, I'm Oladunji, and I'm from Nigeria.

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Hello, I'm Liki, and I live in Paris.

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Hi, I'm Brian, and I'm from New York.

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Welcome to Carbon Sessions, a podcast with

Carbon Conversations for every day, with

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everyone, from everywhere in the world.

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In our conversations, we share ideas.

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Perspectives, questions, and things we

can actually do to make a difference.

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So don't be shy and join our Carbon

Sessions because it's not too late.

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Leekei: Hi, I'm Liki.

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ROB: Hi, I'm Rob.

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KRISTINA: Hi, I'm Christina.

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BARBARA: I'm Barbara.

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Leekei: Yes, today we

have Barbara with us.

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We've heard from Barbara six months

ago, she was on this podcast, I

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think in September or in October.

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At the time she was launching

Generation Carbon Italy, a movement

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And no, actually that's not a

movement, it's an association.

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She was , kicking off the Generation

Carbon Italy, uh, serving primary

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schools in Italy with an aim to reach

A thousand primary schools in Italy.

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That is a very big and,

uh, very big and bold goal.

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And, um, and so here we go.

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We are six months after

we talked last time.

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And so I think it's time to catch up.

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I think a way to start our conversation

is for you to tell us about Earth Day.

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BARBARA: Wow.

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Thank you for having me and for giving

me the chance to talk about once again,

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about generation carbon association.

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, , our main goal is trying to spread

a message of the carbon monarch,

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trying to, uh, help people get

well informed and especially kids.

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Um, for this reason, we launched

a project at school and we reached

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almost 1, 000 classes that is.

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25, 000 kids, , with our beautiful

materials that, , come from our

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generation carbon kit guide.

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And we also had the chance to, , do

different workshopping, uh, at schools.

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And, uh, some kids are, were very,

very lucky because they had the

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opportunity to visit, uh, the wind

turbine in, uh, in some plants.

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So they had the opportunity to, to see,

uh, from reality how green power, no green

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energy can be produced just from wind.

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And it was amazing.

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And, uh, regarding the health day

as we are, focusing our activity on

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kids, had a great opportunity to be

there in Turin celebrating her day,

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um, just a few days ago, where almost

40, 000 people visiting the event.

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And there were a lot of families and

kids, and we had the chance to meet them.

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to organize some different activities

in order to involve not only the

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kids, but especially the grownups.

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Because, you know, we, we, we often

talk to the kids in order to talk to

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the grownups because what I've seen so

far, it's incredible, but the kids are

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very, you know, Keen on being curious and

being more informed than the grownups.

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Um, probably you don't know that, but,

uh, after one of my workshop, some kids

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of a class organized a movement, uh,

for, uh, that they called, uh, Chitta

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Clima, which is a town climate, for

example, to be translated in English.

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And they, they are just.

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three or four kids that they

are sharing some information and

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they also created a manifesto.

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So the kids are, are, are

very, very, very resourceful.

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And so it's, it's a way to talk into kids.

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It's a way to talk into growing up.

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Going back to Earth Day.

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In my opinion, uh, it, it, it has been

a, you know, a great example once again

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of our page 19, uh, because, uh, uh, we

plan everything and prepare everything

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in just three weeks because one of our,

um, volunteers gave us this kind of

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opportunity because, uh, uh, the company,

uh, She works for, uh, couldn't, uh,

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attend even as they did in the past.

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And so she proposed us, why

don't we do it as association?

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And of course I couldn't say no, because

it was a great opportunity for us to

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spread our messages and say, okay,

of course, even though I didn't have

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any clue how to do that, because it

was the first time that we had the,

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you know, a place and we had to put

together the materials, the ideas,

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but we brainstormed all together.

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And, uh, the funny thing was that,

uh, I had a quite a clear idea in

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mind how to, you know, organize.

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And then of course, as usual happens,

it ends up being something different

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and more, more, more beautiful than

it was at the very beginning, you

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know, because I was so focused, okay,

but they have to learn through our

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kids guides and they have to, uh,

and can be, um, a treasure hunt.

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And so they have, but it

was quite complicated.

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And then, uh, one girl said,

okay, why don't we just.

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create some symbols, some icons,

and we can, you know, just trying

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to explain, uh, something related

to the icon and trying to find all

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this, , these kind of, uh, drawings.

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And so they can go back to our

booth and tell what they, they've

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seen so far and talking about.

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So we were in, of course, in a part of,

um, The Royal Palace in Turin, which is

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a very, very good, beautiful location.

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We were in the gardens, and we were

at the entrance of the gardens.

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So we were very lucky because everybody

coming in, uh, was seeing us, and

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so they stopped to know what we were

were doing or what we were proposing.

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I think that, uh, almost, uh, 600

families at least stopped during

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the day because first thing, uh,

we were the only one that, uh.

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Uh, we're proposing some, an activity all

day long, not just in specific moments,

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but we prepared this kind of activity.

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, so that, uh, it, it, uh, could

be possible to be, you know, the

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people could participate whatever

they want, whenever they wanted.

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And then, uh, we also and, uh, create, uh,

different places for the kids to, to draw.

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And to write a message for us, and it was

beautiful because at the very beginning

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we just had, you know, a poster with

our logo generation carbon association

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with fax connection action as payoff.

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And then at the end, our

world was full of beautiful,

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beautiful drawings and messages.

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Wow, I was, I can't find the word

to express my feelings after, you

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know, it was tiring and it was

stressful, but it was completely

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rewarding for the effort we did.

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And finally, it was a special occasion

for us to meet in person for the first

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time because Because I had the chance to

meet in several occasions some people,

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but not everybody had the opportunity

to meet in person, so it might be a

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sort of risk, you know, because we had

only the opportunity to talk via Zoom,

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but when you have, when it comes to

collaborate and be in the same place,

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maybe, you know, There can be some issues.

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Let me see.

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But instead it was beautiful because

it was for us a chance also to talk

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about our story and why we were there.

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So great opportunity.

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Leekei: Is it all, is it the first

time for everybody or just, just,

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for a few of you?

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BARBARA: Well, I knew and I met

more or less all the people, but

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for the majority of them was the

first time they met each other.

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Leekei: sharing this, but there's

so many things I want to ask you,

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but maybe I should let Rob or

Christina ask the questions first.

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ROB: I'm quite, I'm quite interested,

Barbara, in how you engaged with

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a thousand classes, that, that,

that process that you must have

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gone through, because that, that's

quite a big achievement in itself.

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BARBARA: Well, once again, I'm

pleased to say that I'm lucky.

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Probably I'm lucky, probably not.

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I don't know.

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But the fact is that, , I found,

uh, another partner quite expert in

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working with, , with schools that,

uh, uh, was willing to participate

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without, any fear requirement.

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So they had all the network to reach me.

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This, uh, the primary schools in Italy.

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Uh, what we had to do is just to give

the material that we already have

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because of the fact that we have the

beautiful generation carbon kid guide.

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And of course, finding a partner that

was helping us with several activities.

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And unfortunately, one of our carbon

monocle network partner here in

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Italy, which is so helped us on this.

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ROB: These schools in your local

area, or they cross the whole of

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BARBARA: the whole of Italy and we

also had the support of our energetic

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and environmental ministry so we

have a sort of recognition that

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is quite a great project for us.

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KRISTINA: I'm just curious.

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How does it look on

weekly or monthly basis?

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Do you guys meet or how often do you meet?

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I guess I'm curious about the logistics

when if I want to start something

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like that, what makes it sustainable?

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BARBARA: on our, you know, uh, effort

and on the activities we need to develop,

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when it came to Earth Day, uh, we met

each other weekly because of the fact that

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we need to, uh, check, uh, the progress

of the activities, but otherwise we try

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to meet every two weeks quite regularly.

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And it's amazing because, uh, you

know, it's almost, six, eight months

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that we are meeting quite regularly.

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Yeah.

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Since we, um, we made the, the association

official, because what I wanted to do

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here in Italy is just to make our group

official because otherwise here in Italy,

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it's not that easy to find opportunity,

especially when it comes to Proposed

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project because many institutions as

well as companies as well as, you know,

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other people want to know, okay, who

are you, what are you doing and what

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kind of, uh, uh, organization are you?

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So I made this decision to go through

the old bureaucracy and it's quite

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difficult and to, you know, establish

our group as a nonprofit association.

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But I think that the It's also for

us opportunity to be more involved

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and more participant because, uh,

you know, it's, uh, it's true.

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We have a VAT number.

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So we have a bank account.

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We have, you know, all this

kind of things that the org has.

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So,

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ROB: I'm also interested in how, uh,

you, I'm not sure if, did you, uh, have

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any resistance at all at any stage,

and if so, how you overcame that?

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Teachers being busy, for example,

and fitting extra things into their

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curriculum, that kind of, uh, problem.

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BARBARA: well, the fact is that actually

our project is an opportunity for them

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because they have to fill, at least here

in Italy, we have a couple of hours that

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we call citizen education, more or less.

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And the teacher had to fill in

with, um, uh, with some contents.

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And it's time to, we gave.

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the teacher the opportunity to have

a great content that also responded

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to 2030 Agenda and so for them was a

sort of win win situation and it was

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free because sometimes they had to

insert in their curriculum the school

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curriculum some projects but they had

to pay and instead we we gave this kind

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of contents and material and workshop.

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for free, so quite effortful

from our side, but a great

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opportunity for the teacher.

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Interesting was the fact that, uh,

it happened that maybe there were

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several schools that participated with

several classes, just because of, for

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example, one teacher talked with the

other And so, you know, they accept

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it and they join us all together.

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This is happening, for example,

for this Matilda's school.

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I talked with Matilda's teacher

and informed all the other teacher

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and we ended up with 10 classes.

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And so I had to run 10

different workshops.

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It was quite, um, you know, a

little bit, uh, tiring, but.

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Leekei: I was also very surprised

because the other day I attended a,

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um, , conference of, um, education,

uh, climate and environmental

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education, , , there were different

speakers from different countries,

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mainly, mostly in Europe, I think.

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And I was surprised.

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that basically what happened to

teachers is that they've been told by

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the government that they need to teach

climate change and environment and all

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that, but they have no real support.

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And so this is really an opportunity.

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There is even, uh, an organization in the

UK, maybe Rob, you've heard about them.

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, there's an organization, they claim

themselves and they started themselves,

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um, inside with a teacher, uh, who

created a ministry of eco education,

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because there was no material to teach

eco, uh, or environmental education.

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So they created a

ministry of eco education.

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I was really, really surprised that

this was, that was going on this way,

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because they, okay, the government told

the teachers, you need to teach this,

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and you are really doing, helping the

teachers, the primary school teachers.

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And I think it's the same case in a lot

of countries, because it's really new.

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BARBARA: absolutely.

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But the fact is that here in Italy, they,

they are not, uh, Yeah, thankfully, even

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forced to talk about climate change.

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This is something that is up

to the teacher to talk about.

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And so, this is the first challenge,

and this is the first block for us.

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This is the reason why once everything

will be more, you know, will be done.

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We, we tried and we worked a little

bit at the very beginning of the year,

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but we needed to, you know, do more.

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Put a little bit in standby, but we

would like to work on a petition in order

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to ask for climate change and ecology

actually as mandatory subject here in

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Italy, and then you're perfectly right.

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The teachers are not well prepared.

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And, uh, they have no

idea how to teach them.

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And I think that, uh, the, the most

difficult part is trying to explain

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and being of course, quite, uh, you

know, scientific given the right

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information without terrifying

or adding anxious to the kids.

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And this is the trick.

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And this is, you know, and I think

that our job is, is going to the right

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direction for this reason, because

we, we tell the truth, but we try

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to show also what we can, we can do.

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Right now, uh, except for the part

that of course, uh, the first thing is

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talking about and, uh, talking about

grownups and trying to inform people.

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And, and of course the main party is

voting, but kids don't vote at the moment.

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Uh, part they can influence their,

their family when they vote, but then

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apart from, from this, we, we gave them.

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little, uh, action they can, you know,

already take for making the world better.

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Leekei: Yeah.

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And I think also that, uh, eco and

anxiety is a real thing, uh, with kids

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because they are very kids are very

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BARBARA: Absolutely.

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Leekei: And so I think as a teacher, as

an educator, um, it's our responsibility

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to give them answer and to help them

through that process of, okay, well,

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um, how should I put that?

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It's just, um, maybe it's, it's not, it's

not , as, as horrible as doom and gloom.

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That's that you might, you might hear in

the media, because I don't know about the

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media's voice in, in Italy or in the UK,

but in France, if you just listen to the

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media, it's just like, Oh, wow, we're all

going to die in and you have no future.

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And I think it's a horrible message.

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Well, young generation

generation for kids.

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So I think it's a it's a real job.

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It's a to tell health Kids process

that and show them that they can do

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something and it's not as horrible

as the media want you to Think

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BARBARA: Yeah, absolutely.

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Because I think that, uh, the side

effect is that people don't take

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any action at all because We are all

doomed to, to a, uh, a certain end.

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So I don't think that in fact, this is

something that I'm, you know, mulling over

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a lot and a lot and a lot, what kind of

message and what kind of information and

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what kind of language do we need to, uh,

take into consideration and of course.

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As a marketing people, I can say it

depends on the audience and so, but

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I'm not sure that this kind of, uh,

catastrophic messages are the right ones.

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Leekei: No.

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Yeah.

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No, we we had a conversation about

that Which was basically the idea

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is from an article that I've read

that says that Being doom and gloom

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about the climate is as bad as being

climate deniers, because basically the

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result is that you don't do anything.

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Because if you think that there's

no way, there's nothing you can do

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about it, you don't do anything.

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And you think that doesn't

exist, you don't do anything.

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So as a result, it's as bad

as, you know, in both cases,

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it's, it's, it's not helping.

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BARBARA: Yeah.

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Yeah, absolutely.

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Definitely.

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ROB: But I think the good thing is

that, um, children tend to be very, very

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adaptable, and, uh, when they, When they

get, um, a positive message, then, uh, in

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some ways they're almost the best people

to be teaching their own parents, really.

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I think that's been one of the values

of the Carbon Almanac, uh, is that

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it's, um, not top down, it's, it's

kind of bottom up, if you like.

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BARBARA: Yeah.

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And I think that, uh, sometimes we, uh,

we, we overlook the power of children.

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Um, instead, I think that if properly

educated or if we give the right tools

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to them, to them, they are very, very,

very, you know, powerful and resourceful

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because it's not that, that they have

ideas and, and you know, and they have

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hope and they have to imagine, uh, , a

beautiful and a special word for them.

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So I think that it's our duty.

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And to, to, you know, to make,

make this possible for them.

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Uh, and so I'm really happy when

it happens that a group of kids

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or teenager trying to collaborate

or create a group, in fact, uh,

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one volunteer proposed to create.

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The Generation Carbon Club, which is

an opportunity for people, families,

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kids to create their, their own

generation carbon group, uh, within their

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neighborhood, within their city, whatever,

whenever they, wherever they want.

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And maybe we can help them with

the tools, with the contents.

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And maybe, of course, it's a

dream, but it can be, you know.

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Um, great opportunity because at the

moment, the kids and teenager are not so

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they have idea and they have energy, but

they are not, uh, Uh, how can I explain?

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Um, they have no knowledge

how the world goes, you know?

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Or there are some relationship or that

you need to take into consideration.

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Istan, we have the savviness of the, the,

the grownups because we are quite, uh,

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people of a certain, a certain expertise.

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Everybody in the in the association

has at least 20 years of

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experience in in corporations.

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And then, with all this kind of

expertise we can, you know, help

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them, trying to be more effective.

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And support them.

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ROB: Do you find that there are

different schools across Italy now

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collaborating with, with each other

now that things are set up as they are?

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BARBARA: Well, this can be

a great next step, actually.

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Great idea.

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No, at the moment, they are

working, unfortunately, in CELOS.

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So, all the school and, and actually,

uh, all the teacher, uh, have the

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freedom to take our material and, you

know, explain or focus on, you know,

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Some parts more than others, depending

also on what they are teaching at the

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moment related their school programs.

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For example, with Matilde, I'm going

to propose a pilot workshop related to

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biodiversity because of the fact that at

the moment they are working in science,

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they're working on endangered animals.

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Thank you And so I'm taking this

chance to, you know, insert the,

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the generation carbon project within

their program in order to, you know,

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have something quite, uh, uh, fluid,

uh, and, uh, uh, and, and, you know,

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something that the kids can link to.

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ROB: Yeah, we found that was

so good with the audio book.

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People really engaged with it

when, uh, they were offered the

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opportunity to, um, speak for it.

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And, um, and, you know, I think Matilda

was one of the best examples because

327

she, she did pieces in English without

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having that much knowledge

of English at the time.

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And she did so well with it.

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So it shows how adaptable children are.

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BARBARA: yeah, definitely.

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Um, you know, how willing to help are

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Leekei: I was wondering, because kids

have so much power in families, that

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through children, you have some parents

that got engaged in climate change through

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the children, through being exposed

to the, the work that you're doing.

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BARBARA: there are a few families

that hadn't had any idea or

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any clue about what that was.

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Uh, since this, uh, this girl.

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Uh, put together this movement and

she said, Oh my gosh, you're doing

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such a great, uh, you know, work.

341

I hadn't the clue.

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And so through the, through their

kids, the, because the mom shared

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me some messages, uh, they,

they, they've been learning, you

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know, how bad is fast fashion.

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How the how important is to not to not

to use too much plastic and how to, you

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know, how to recycle and blah, blah, blah.

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So, uh, I think that, uh, at least.

348

I'm happy, um, one, uh, that, uh, the

grownups, uh, let the kids experiment

349

themselves in this activity, because

I don't think that it's common,

350

you know, because, uh, they could

also say, well, what are you doing?

351

Why don't you think of just, you

know, you know, study and so on.

352

Instead, they, you know, they have the

kids, uh, uh, just create a specific

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chat in WhatsApp for this project.

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So this is a great opportunity

where the kids have the chance

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to share their messages.

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And then I think that, uh, It's a way

for the grown up to reflect on some

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messages, especially the fast fashion,

because I'm realizing that talking also

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with my colleagues, they hadn't any clue

how bad it is, you know, changing and

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buying the fast fashion and the impact.

360

This, uh, amount of, uh, not sold

clothes, uh, have, uh, on society,

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on, uh, developing countries.

362

And well, um, and so I think that can be

a way for the grownups to, you know, focus

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on, okay, maybe I can, instead of buying

these, I can search for a different way.

364

To respond to my, to my need, which is

still a consumeristic need sometimes,

365

but I need to in a more sustainable way.

366

Leekei: Yeah.

367

This is something I noticed very

often is the, the request for, but for

368

making, uh, more sustainable choices

come from children in many families.

369

BARBARA: Yeah, yeah, yeah.

370

And what I've noticed so far, for

example, it's just, uh, I saw this,

371

um, uh, advertising campaign or, uh,

two days ago from, uh, uh, A quite

372

popular brand of pasta here in Italy.

373

The situation is that, uh, the dad,

uh, is, uh, cleaning the table after

374

the dinner, the lunch, I don't know.

375

And he's throwing away, uh, the

food waste, but then the girl

376

says to him, stop, you can keep

it and save it for tomorrow.

377

This is more or less the situation.

378

And it's a girl.

379

You know, the kid telling

the father, so you're right.

380

Leekei: That is so good, but

I'm not surprised at all.

381

Yeah.

382

BARBARA: Yeah, this is also food waste.

383

Something that I focused

a lot during my workshop.

384

Because it's a quite easy win win.

385

So trying to let the kids reflect

on how bad it is, the food waste.

386

for several reasons and how simple it is

to just save it for tomorrow or being,

387

you know, quite, uh, uh, creative in order

to reuse the food in a creative manner.

388

And, uh, uh, what I I'm telling them every

time is that fortunately here in Italy,

389

we finally have a specific law that force

the restaurants to give the doggy bag.

390

So please ask them

always for the doggy bag.

391

Don't be afraid.

392

Don't be shy.

393

Don't be ashamed because

it's a shame here in Italy.

394

Now, if you're asking for the

doggy bag, it's because you haven't

395

food at home, but it's not true.

396

It's just because you

don't want to waste it.

397

So this is something that I do every time.

398

ROB: Yeah, we've, we've noticed that

in more restaurants in, uh, in, in this

399

country that, uh, people, people offer

that service and, um, our youngest son,

400

um, he's, he's a big eater, but, uh,

there are certain things I think he

401

just thinks, yeah, I want to save this.

402

So there's no way he's going to leave it.

403

He always gets his, uh, his food

put into packaging to take home now.

404

And, uh, yeah, it's been nice to see that.

405

Leekei: Is it illegal?

406

Because here in France, it's a must for

restaurants to provide this opportunity

407

to, to provide boxes or doggy bags.

408

But I noticed that's not always enforced.

409

So some restaurants say, Oh,

we don't have it anymore.

410

BARBARA: Yeah, it should be illegal.

411

You could, you know, of course, I

don't know what kind of fine they

412

receive in case, yeah, at least here

in Italy at the moment, they shouldn't.

413

But let me say that, uh, um, I hadn't

found any particular, um, uh, difficulty

414

in finding a restaurant, giving, giving

us the, the boxes with the food left.

415

Every time I asked, I've, I

found Well, I found people

416

quite, uh, you know, prepared.

417

KRISTINA: Also, we can

get ready and carry boxes.

418

BARBARA: Yeah, definitely.

419

Yeah,

420

ROB: About 20 years ago, when

our eldest was very young, uh,

421

we went to a local restaurant.

422

It's an Italian restaurant

called Ponte di Legno.

423

Um, it's in Woodbridge road,

which is why it's Ponte di Legno.

424

And we ordered some pasta and, uh,

uh, Our eldest was our only child

425

at the time and he just fell asleep

just as our food was being served.

426

And so his plate just sat there for

the whole time while we were eating.

427

And at the end the waiter came up

and said, um, I'll put this in a

428

container for you to take away with you.

429

And I remember being really

touched by that at that stage.

430

And, and it was very unusual as well.

431

And I've only just thought about

that because now it is so much more

432

commonplace for people to be offered that.

433

But, uh, I didn't, it was almost like

at that stage, I didn't think that

434

that was an available thing to be

able to take the food away with me.

435

So it's funny how my mindset has

changed over the last 20 years.

436

BARBARA: I think that, uh, you know, in

20 years, uh, everybody has shifted a lot.

437

This is me, for example, working to

The carbon monarch, uh, working in the

438

carbon on my project changed completely

my point of view, you know, I've realized

439

that I was just scratching the surface.

440

I didn't, you know, and so I tried to

inform myself more and more and trying

441

to, you know, find ways to have an impact.

442

Leekei: Going back to

generation Carbon, Italy.

443

Uh, so, what's next for until the

end of the school year, and what's

444

next for after the school year?

445

BARBARA: Well, uh, , we have,

um, Also a contest, generation

446

school project contest.

447

So the classes involved can, uh, send

us different projects that is something

448

we'll create with the recycled materials

or, uh, cartoons or a drawing, whatever

449

they want related to our contents and

climate change, and then, uh, uh, 30

450

classes will weigh in as Special, uh,

uh, a special, uh, uh, a prize, which

451

is, um, um, uh, a cardboard game that

Parmesan, uh, you know, gifted us.

452

And so I'm really, really curious to

receive, uh, all these, uh, projects

453

and, uh, see what, uh, the kids,

uh, uh, are focused on or want to.

454

You know, put their attention on.

455

So this is something that we will

receive with the end of the school

456

year, which is at the beginning of June.

457

And so we will also have a call within the

group in order to see what Well, what was,

458

uh, what did, uh, what went, uh, well, or

what went wrong or what we can improve,

459

because of course, our, uh, our dream is

to keep going and, uh, propose, uh, and

460

to keep on proposing projects to schools.

461

And, uh, of course, uh, it, it could be

already great to have this second edition.

462

In order for us to give, uh, in order

for us to give and to have more time

463

to study other kind of project for

the secondary school, because this

464

is focused on the primary school.

465

And in the in the meanwhile.

466

We're working on, uh,

the educator's guide.

467

We are trying to translate all the

amazing, uh, work that, uh, the

468

Carbonelmanap network has already done.

469

What I'm doing at the moment is

just trying to, you know, use all

470

these beautiful, uh, tools, kit and

resources we already have and trying

471

to marketing in, in Italy and trying

to adapt to them because of course

472

the school, uh, this, the school

system is a little bit different.

473

So we're working on this and

because of the fact that what we

474

were saying before, you know, uh,

teachers are not, uh, uh, prepared.

475

And so the educators guide might be

a way for them to be prepared to talk

476

about this, uh, uh, difficult topic.

477

And, uh, we're working on our website.

478

Um, you know, to have, uh, uh, to,

to, to, to post all our resources,

479

the, the kid guide translated

the educators guide and so on.

480

But, uh, our main, uh, my main task is

to, uh, you know, recruiting volunteers

481

because at the moment we are just 10

people and, and we need, you know, people

482

to, to put in place or all the ideas we

have, because for example, we will also

483

like to work on, uh, degeneration carbon

podcasts in order trying to translate

484

them or to use them here in Italy.

485

Uh, and so, so ideas, uh, many, many

ideas, um, you know, step by step,

486

but we are happy because I think

that just in, in a very few time, uh,

487

less than one here, we, we did a lot.

488

Leekei: How do you manage to do all that?

489

Because you're a mom, you have a full

time job, and you've done so much, so how,

490

how can you find the time to do all that?

491

Even if you're a team of

ten, but it just, because

492

BARBARA: don't know, actually.

493

Leekei: you say that, you know,

your family, you take, you're asking

494

a lot of your family time, yeah.

495

Yeah.

496

I,

497

BARBARA: Yeah.

498

This is, uh, you know, this is

the, the, the, the first key.

499

My daughter is helping me and so, uh,

whatever I need, uh, you know, support,

500

especially, okay, I'm doing this, how

they, for example, also, uh, at the

501

moment for the project that I'm running,

I run in her class and I involved

502

Michi for this and say, Oh, have a

look at what Michi's brilliantly doing.

503

I said, wow, beautiful mom.

504

And so, you know, having them, um, uh,

having her involved is, uh, is key.

505

Thanks Because, uh, she, she, she feels

part of something bigger than herself.

506

And second, of course, uh, having

a partner that, uh, understands

507

why I'm doing what I'm doing.

508

And so it's not getting in the

way and actually is trying to

509

be helpful as much as he can.

510

For example, uh, in Turin, uh, he

took care of Matilda because it was

511

the day before a religious ceremony.

512

And so, okay, I did it.

513

Uh, on your behalf and you go

to, you can go to touring and so.

514

Otherwise I couldn't.

515

So, and this is, uh, uh,

the magic I can create.

516

And of course, uh, uh, the enthusiasm that

I think that is quite, uh, involving for

517

the other component of the dissociation.

518

And so if I can involve them and I

can transfer my enthusiasm to them,

519

they are willing to help them back.

520

Leekei: I was reading my notes.

521

One of the questions I wanted to

ask is how has this experience, this

522

six months, or since you've started

working on Generation Carbon Italy,

523

how has it transformed you as a person?

524

BARBARA: Uh, I think that, uh, uh, I'm

transforming every day, uh, because

525

I'm learning something new every day.

526

Um, and, uh, uh, it helped me, uh, see

once again, see things in a different

527

way once again, because, uh, uh, I'm,

I'm putting myself in a different

528

perspective, which is the perspective

of the children, and I'm forcing

529

myself trying to explain something.

530

You know, uh, difficult in a, in an easier

way and in a, in a, in an anxious way.

531

So, um, trying to also to, uh,

rediscover my inner, my inner child.

532

So this is a great opportunity for me

to, to be, uh, to be a support for them.

533

Um, and, uh, it also helped me, uh,

try, helped me in creating, uh, network

534

in, in the town that I live because

of the fact that, uh, uh, I, I'm shy.

535

I am trying not to, you know, uh, expose

myself too much, but as I hunted to, uh.

536

prepare 10 workshops in 10 classes,

which, uh, I'm talking about 250 kids.

537

So that means 250 families that

the day after say, Oh, I see.

538

So, you know, uh, my kid, uh, told

me that you were in, um, in his class

539

or her class, uh, talking about this.

540

So it exposed me to, you know, to be a

little bit on the stage that I don't like,

541

but it helped me create a new relationship

and it gave me the force, for example,

542

to propose what we did at Earth Day in

Turin in, um, an event that is going to

543

be held, uh, at the end of May in my town.

544

I, I wouldn't have I thought

about it just a few months ago

545

about this kind of opportunity.

546

Instead, I, I searched for the contacts

and I say, okay, we are doing this.

547

And I, I put together all the information

I showed them all the picture that I

548

took during the evening and say, if you

want, I can do that the same for the NSA.

549

Wow, it's beautiful.

550

Do it.

551

So, uh, there are a lot of, you know,

sentences that, uh, were in my mind, you

552

know, that I learned in Altenbier with

Carmen Amalak that I say, okay, they

553

are beautiful sentences, but how can,

you know, make it them real actionable?

554

And now I'm I make an action with this

kind of, for example, no, it's always

555

up to you if you care enough, you're

more power than you think you are.

556

The other one that the other one I've

said that I love that is leadership

557

don't need, you know, more time

but clarity and that happened.

558

for example, in Earth Day touring,

because we had just three, three weeks,

559

but we focused and we had a clear idea,

clear idea of what will, uh, the outcome

560

would have been that, uh, we managed,

although the time was not so much,

561

Leekei: But it exceeded your, your

expectations, actually, the outcome.

562

Um,

563

BARBARA: absolutely exceeded.

564

Definitely, definitely.

565

Leekei: Any other question?

566

ROB: I was just wondering what you

got from the earth day that you will

567

carry forwards and what experience

you got from that and how you

568

might do it differently next time.

569

BARBARA: Yeah, this is something that

we are reflecting right now with the

570

group and for example we focused a lot

on the activity in order for the kids to

571

be engaged and to be To have the proper

activity, but for example, because of,

572

you know, the chaotic moment, a lot of

people, a lot of family coming to our

573

booth, that we hadn't time to spend

a few, few moments talking about what

574

they found in the garden, what kind of

messages, or to Um, talk a little bit

575

more about our generation kid guide and

how to download them because we gave

576

it away a lot of materials, uh, as a

gift for the, the treasure hunter, we,

577

we gave, uh, uh, the book signing and,

uh, the climate quest, uh, cardboard.

578

our climate cuesta and

translated in Italian.

579

And so we thought that it was enough,

but probably we could, uh, I've taken a

580

few minutes explaining a little bit more

about, you know, the Generation Kid Guide.

581

This is something that, uh, uh,

I keep with me and I'll try to do

582

better next time, uh, at our town.

583

Probably there will be, uh, fewer people.

584

So the occasion to talk

about our Kid Guide.

585

In order for the people to download

it for free because the truth is

586

that our tool is free, you know, so a

great opportunity for people to learn.

587

So this is something that

we can make it better.

588

KRISTINA: That's such a beautiful idea.

589

I'm so happy that it's going viral

and I hope other countries will take

590

notice and check it out and do it.

591

I think it's amazing.

592

In Czech Republic, there was a ministry,

uh, That is environmental ministry.

593

So they have a lot of research.

594

They have great booklets, but

it's not going into the public.

595

I stopped by in their office

and there are piles and piles

596

of these beautiful booklets.

597

But, uh, like you said, idea is great.

598

They did what the government asked

them, but it's not out there.

599

And, uh, we have a little bit

different problem with teachers.

600

They're overwhelmed with all the other

requirements they have to meet and they

601

are not creating space for them to,

uh, play around this, uh, So, yeah, I

602

hope it will spread to other countries.

603

Maybe we can do the European

Union kind of requirement.

604

Your next step, Barbara.

605

BARBARA: Why not?

606

Why not?

607

We have to dream big, always.

608

Leekei: What I take away from

this conversation is your

609

enthusiasm and, uh, and the fact

that you, you started something.

610

And, um, I think, you know, I don't know

how to express that, but, it's like,

611

you have a mission and the mission has

become very clear and it's liberates

612

the superwoman that was inside you.

613

So that's, you know, that, that is

something I've, I, I take away from

614

this conversation and it's a very

powerful message to other women,

615

people who want to do something

and just, you know, just do it.

616

And then.

617

Because you didn't think

too much before signing it.

618

And now you've signed it, it's, you just,

you're every surprised by how big and how

619

big and how, um, normal it feels as well.

620

So this is a very powerful message.

621

Thank you.

622

BARBARA: Thank you.

623

Thank you.

624

The fact is that.

625

I tend to, I tend to consider what I'm

doing normal, actually, not so impressive.

626

But then again, when I talk to people and

say, Oh, can you, how can you do that?

627

And so if I can, you can,

because I'm not so special.

628

ROB: Yeah, it's fantastic.

629

Thank

630

BARBARA: Thank you all for having me.

631

Leekei: Thank you, Barbara.

632

And so we'll talk to

you in six months again.

633

BARBARA: Yeah, hopefully, probably

we will have something else to say.

634

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635

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636

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640

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